Grease (1978) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance? Director: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 23 titles created 21 Dec 2013 a list of 23 titles created 22 Jan 2014 a list of 27 titles created 3 months ago a list of 44 titles created 3 months ago a list of 30 images created 1 month ago Search for " Grease " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards » Videos Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle. Director: Emile Ardolino A Brooklyn teenager feels his only chance to succeed is as the king of the disco floor. His carefree youth and weekend dancing help him to forget the reality of his bleak life. Director: John Badham An English student at a 1960's American high school has to prove himself to the leader of a girls' gang whose members can only date greasers.

Director: Patricia Birch After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic. Director: Jerry Zucker A city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace. Director: Herbert Ross When a worldly singer witnesses a mob crime, the police hide her as a nun in a traditional convent where she has trouble fitting in. Director: Emile Ardolino A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets. Director: Baz Luhrmann A man in a legal but hurtful business needs an escort for some social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love. Director: Garry Marshall Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George. Director: Mark Waters A pretty, popular teenager can't go out on a date until her ill-tempered older sister does.

Director: Gil Junger A rich high school student tries to boost a new pupil's popularity, but reckons without affairs of the heart getting in the way. Director: Amy Heckerling A Pittsburgh woman with two jobs as a welder and an exotic dancer wants to get into ballet school. Director: Adrian Lyne Edit Storyline A musical about teens in love in the 50's! It's California 1959 and greaser Danny Zuko and Australian Sandy Olsson are in love. They spend time at the beach, and when they go back to school, what neither of them knows is that they both now attend Rydell High. Danny's the leader of the T-Birds, a group of black leather jacket-wearing greasers while Sandy hangs with the Pink Ladies, a group of pink-wearing girls led by Rizzo. When they clash at Rydell's first pep rally, Danny isn't the same Danny from the beach. They try to be like each other so they can be together.

Written by Alex Schultz <NedSDeclassified2967> Grease is the word See more » Genres: Rated PG-13 for sexual content including references, teen smoking and drinking, and language | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 16 June 1978 (USA) See more » Also Known As: $12,705,463 (USA) (27 March 1998) Gross: 110 min Sound Mix: DTS (re-release) (1998)| Dolby Digital (re-release) (1998)| Dolby (35 mm prints) (original release)| 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (original release) Color: Did You Know? Trivia John Travolta revealed in a 1998 interview that Linda Ronstadt was considered for Sandy. See more » Goofs Vi, the waitress, pushes the light switch with her elbow but her elbow is clearly no where near the light switch. See more » Quotes Sandy : I'm going back to Australia; I might never see you again. Danny : Don't... don't talk that way, Sandy.

Sandy : But it's true! I've just had the best summer of my life, and now I have to go away. It isn't fair. [Danny starts kissing her] Sandy : Danny, don't spoil it! Danny : It's not spoiling it, Sandy, it's only making it better. Sandy : Danny... is this the end? Danny : Of course not; it's only the beginning. The beginning credits show the main characters in cartoon form. See more » Connections (fairview, nj) – See all my reviews GREASE (1978) **** John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Jeff Conaway, Stockard Channing, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Sid Caesar, Edd `Kookie' Byrnes, ShaNaNa, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Ellen Travolta, Eddie Deezen, Lorenzo Lamas.

One of the best Broadway musicals ever adapted for the big screen largely thanks to producer Allan Carr and director Randal Kleiser set at Rydell High circa 1950s with Travolta (in his other iconic role) as leather jacket wearing, hunky hood with a heart-of-gold Danny Zuko recalling his `Summer Nights' with Aussie sexpot Newton-John (in her sunny to sultry iconic turn) as goody-goody Sandy who learns some things from The Pink Ladies' tough yet tender leader Rizzo (Channing, ditto). Good old fashioned knuckle-headed comedy and toe-tapping tunes that will have you dancing and singing along to `Greased Lightning' (imagine Elvis doing this!) , the dance contest's hyper-paced `Hand Jive' sequence and the closer `We Go Together'. Title tune by Franki Valli. A film I've seen probably a hundred times and never tire of. 30 of 41 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Did Aaron Tveit Measure Up to Travolta’s Danny Zuko in ‘Grease: Live’? Did Aaron Tveit Measure Up to Travolta’s Danny Zuko in ‘Grease: Live’?

Victoria Miller It’s the day after Grease: Live, and everyone is talking about the live Fox musical—and its leading man, Aaron Tveit. Nearly 40 years after John Travolta played Danny Zuko on the big screen version of the Broadway hit, the 32-year-old actor had some big shoes (and, apparently, shorts) to fill as the T-Birds leader in Fox’s first-ever live production. And of course, diehard fans of the 1978 movie—and critics— had plenty of reaction to Tveit’s casting in the iconic role. — Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 27, 2016 Sure, Aaron Tveit didn’t look quite like John Travolta’s Danny. The hair was really off, a detail that the actor made note of in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. But when asked who his influences were for getting into character, Tveit said he was going for a different type of Danny than Travolta’s, anyway. “I have watched the movie, I mean Travolta’s amazing in it and the way that he does it.

But also – because I’m a little more blond than he is – my Danny’s more of a James Dean Danny than an Elvis Danny so I’m kind of thinking about that.” Although Tveit didn’t look exactly like Travolta’s “Elvis” Danny, he sure sounded like him. Like his predecessor, the actor’s big moment came in the show’s iconic musical number, “Greased Lightning.” And while the original song’s racy lyrics were dramatically changed for primetime TV, Tveit pulled the song off big time, right down to those suggestive dance moves. In fact, the bedazzled musical number was one of the highlights of the Fox show. Hands up if "Greased Lightning" is your favorite Grease song! ????⚡️ #GreaseLive — GREASE: LIVE (@GoGrease) February 1, 2016 While the “Greased Lightning” scene had people talking, Twitter users seemed to be mostly focused on the white gym shorts Aaron Tveit wore in a scene when his character tried out for the Rydell High track team. Us Weekly posted a series of tweets about Aaron’s white shortie shorts, leading with the gleeful reaction of Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick.

(Hint: She approved.) Of course, fans of the 1978 Grease movie may remember John Travolta wearing short shorts for the gym class scene, but the outfit didn’t create quite as much buzz back then. Ahead of Grease: Live, Travolta predicted that Tveit would do a great job as Danny Zuko. Travolta even told the Insider that he thinks Aaron is a talented actor. “From what I can tell, he’s got the talent. He’s able to sing and dance, and I’m sure he’s gonna do a great job.” Still, Variety gave Aaron’s performance a harsh review , describing him as a weak links and “charisma-challenged” in the star-studded production. While his dancing was praised, Tveit’s acting was slammed as bland and as boring as “a glass of milk.” Of course, fan reaction is what’s most important. Grease: Live stars Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens received rave fan reviews for their roles as Sandy and Rizzo, respectively (Hudgens may even have been the MVP of the performance, because she was grieving the death of her father, who passed away one day before the live show), and so did Tveit.

And while he didn’t come off as a John Travolta clone, the actor gave us a different kind of Zuko. Which is probably the way the way it should be. Grease: Live ratings are bigger than Danny Zuko's hair: pic.twitter.com/RkFcfqSWNB — E! Online (@eonline) February 1, 2016 While Aaron Tveit may be a new name to some viewers, he’s actually a seasoned Broadway veteran, with roles in stage versions of Catch Me If You Can and Rent on his resume. And Grease: Live isn’t the actor’s first TV role, either. Tveit has had roles in several TV series, including a lead role on Graceland and a recurring role on Gossip Girl. What did you think of Aaron Tveit’s performance in Grease: Live? Check out one of his biggest scenes in the video below. [Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images] 'Grease' Movie Characters | Made Man Facebook Twitter Stumble Google+ Save In 1978, "Grease" movie characters were brought to life as high school students from 1959.

This musical, directed by Randal Kleiser, created a movie about Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, two teens who meet over summer vacation and find that their love just isn't that easy back at Rydell High School. The main characters are divided into two main groups: the T-Birds (greasers) and the Pink Ladies. T-Birds: Danny Zuko (John Travolta) Danny is the leader and main male "Grease" character of the T-Birds. He falls in love with Sandy, but when they get back to school, she doesn't fit in with his reputation as the school's “bad boy.” In "Grease", he is way too cool to admit any type of feelings for Sandy. Kenickie (Jeff Conaway) Kenickie is the second in command when it comes to the T-Birds. He has an on/off relationship with Rizzo and likes to work on cars and drag race. Doody (Barry Pearl) One of the T-Birds, Doody works on cars with the guys and works to get in the spotlight at a school dance in "Grease". Sonny (Michael Tucci) Another one of the T-Birds.

Pink Ladies: Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton John) Sandy, the female character counterpart of Danny, is a foreign exchange student from Australia. She comes to Rydell High and unexpectedly finds her summer fling, Danny. Her virginal image doesn't sit well with the Pink Ladies and she is a little bit of the odd girl out. In the end, Sandy goes through quite a transformation to show she isn't just the good girl of "Grease". Betty Rizzo (Stockard Channing) Rizzo is the promiscuous leader of the Pink Ladies. She and Kenickie have a relationship and things take an unexpected turn. She projects a tough exterior and doesn't let anything get to her. Frenchie (Jamie Donnelly) Frenchy becomes one of the Pink Ladies during the movie. She makes the big decision to drop out of school to join beauty school and then drops out of beauty school because of a pink hair mishap. Marty Maraschino (Dinah Manoff) She falls for the television host, Vince Fontaine, at the school dance.

She makes it a point to let him know her last name is “like the cherry.” The "Grease" movie characters keep the action going and the audience engaged as they work through this high school comedy. show comments [PICS] ‘Grease’ Original Cast: Where Are They Now? — John Travolta & More - Hollywood Life 8 Photos It’s been 38 years since John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John and the rest of the cast graced the big screen in ‘Grease.’ With ‘Grease: Live’ premiering Jan. 31, let’s take a look back and see where the original cast is now! Aaron Tveit , 32, and Julianne Hough , 27, and a whole cast of stars are taking over for the original cast in the highly-anticipated Grease: Live. The 1978 Grease is still near and dear to our hearts, so let’s take a trip down memory lane to see where original cast members like John Travolta , 61, and Olivia Newton-John , 67, are now! Watch Grease John Travolta (Danny Zuko) After playing Danny Zuko , John went on to have an incredible movie career .

The actor is returning to TV over 30 years after starring in Welcome Back Kotter. He will play Robert Shapiro, one of O.J. Simpson’s attorney’s, in the 10-part FX miniseries The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. The show premieres on Feb. 2. Olivia Newton-John (Sandy Olsson) Olivia has continued to tour and make music since Grease. The actress and singer was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 44. She released an EP in April 2014 titled Hotel Sessions. She dropped a single with her daughter, Chloe, and producer Dave Aude in 2014 called “You Have To Believe.” Olivia was most recently a guest judge on Dancing With the Stars , uniting her with Grease: Live’s Sandy , Julianne! Stockard Channing (Betty Rizzo) Stockard has had an amazing Broadway career and found success on TV. She played First Lady Abby Bartlet on The West Wing from 1999 to 2006. She frequently guest stars as Alicia Florrick’s mother on The Good Wife.

Stockard is gearing up to film the TV movie Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon with Joseph Fiennes and Brian Cox. Join Amazon Prime For Free – Thousands of Movies & Shows Anytime Jeff Conaway (Kenickie) Jeff, who was nominated for 2 Golden Globes for his role in Taxi, died on May 27, 2011. Despite his past drug problems, Jeff passed away due to a number of conditions, including pneumonia and coronary heart disease. Grease is still the word Email a friend BEFORE Glee deconstructed Madonna, before Chicago wiped the floor with the Oscars, Grease was the word. The popular 1950s musical might not have bagged any major awards when it was released on June 16, 1978, but right from the start, the surprisingly raunchy John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John star vehicle was a bona fide crowd-pleaser. Made for just $6 million, Randal Kleiser's film has taken almost $400 million at the international box office. In the US, it sang and danced its way to a staggering $188 million, making it the highest grossing musical of all time.

(Les Miserables, by comparison, took $148 million and Mamma Mia $144 million.) Unlike many of its contemporaries, Grease has exhibited extraordinary staying power - spawning its own special barbie doll collection, which is still available online, a singalong version and countless stage revivals over the past three decades. Rehearsals start on a new Australian production, which will see former Idol contestant Rob Mills don the leather T-Birds jacket, in July. The soundtrack featured two Billboard No.1 hits - Grease, written by Barry Gibb and sung by Frankie Valli, who had no other connection to the film, and You're the One That I Want, sung by Travolta and Newton-John. The Academy Award-nominated Hopelessly Devoted to You made it to No.3. Stockard Channing as Rizzo and receiving an Emmy for The West Wing in 2002. Picture: APSource:Supplied Stockard Channing When the three-time Emmy winner lost the role of Lois Lane to Margot Kidder in the 1978 version of Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Grease, the fifth most profitable movie of all time, was released the same year. Channing, who was 33 when she was cast as the sharp-tongued Betty Rizzo, might have been the world's oldest teenager, but that didn't stop her stealing every scene she appeared in. More than 20 years after that career-making performance, the actor - born Susan Stockard - made a similarly indelible impression as First Lady Abbey Bartlet in The West Wing. Channing, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the Fred Schepisi film Six Degrees of Separation, can currently be seen as Julianna Margulies' wayward mother in The Good Wife. John Travolta and Jeff Conaway in a scene from the 1978 film. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied Jeff Conaway Conaway, who played bad boy T-Bird Kenickie in the film, died in May 2011. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, his death was caused by a number of conditions, including coronary artery disease and pneumonia. The actor's struggle with drug and alcohol addiction was documented in the US reality television series Celebrity Rehab (2008).

Also known for his role as a struggling actor in Taxi, Conaway was part of the original cast of the Broadway production of Grease, eventually stepping into the lead role of Danny Zuko. Travolta later joined the show as a chorus member. The pecking order was reversed on screen. The filmmakers asked 1.87m Conaway to stoop so that the 1.88m Travolta would appear much taller. And in the stage version, the song Greased Lightning was sung by Kenickie. Travolta used his clout to have Zuko sing it in the film. Didi Conn in a scene with Stockard Channing and pictured in 2010. Pictures: Supplied / GettySource:Supplied Didi Conn The beauty school dropout's distinctive, childlike voice is one of her trademarks - Conn was the voice of Raggedy Ann in the 1977 animated feature, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. The Brooklyn native lives outside New York City with her second husband, Broadway and film composer David Shire. Conn considers Grease and Grease 2 to be personal high-water marks. She named her son after leading man Danny Zuko.

He was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. Later Conn became a celebrity spokesman for advocacy organisation Autism Speaks. To coincide with the 20th anniversary re-release of Grease in 1998, she published a memoir, Frenchy's Grease Scrapbook. "I hired two secretaries, went to Radio Shack and got a tape recorder," she says. "I got to reconnect with everybody. It was like no time had gone by." Most recently, Conn has appeared as a nurse on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Jamie Donnelly as one of the Pink Ladies and posing with her family in 1998. Pictures: Supplied / GettySource:Supplied Jamie Donnelly Donnelly also played the role of Pink Lady Jan on Broadway. And she originated The Rocky Horror Show's Magenta/Usherette on stage with Tim Curry and Meat Loaf. Donnelly recently appeared in the Duplass Brothers comedy Cyrus with John C Reilly, Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei. She also had a small role in the TV series Monk. Annette Cardona as Danny Zucko?s ex and pictured in Hollywood in 2009.

Pictures: Supplied / GettySource:Supplied Annette Cardona Credited as Annette Charles, Cardona was the only performer who could match John Travolta on the dance floor. In the electric, bad girl role of Cha Cha DiGregorio, Danny Zucko's ex from the rival high school, the Mexican-Sicilian performer had all the right moves. A seasoned dancer, singer and actor, Cardona appeared in several iconic 1970s and 1980s TV series, including The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk and Magnum PI, before retraining to become a professor of speech communications at California State University, Northridge. Although she was not a smoker, Cardona died of lung cancer in 2011. greaseSource:Supplied Olivia Newton-John Livvie was offered the role of Sandy Olsson after meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner party at Helen Reddy's home. Worried that she was too old to play a high school senior (she turned 29 during filming), the four-time Grammy winner insisted on a screen test with co-star John Travolta, who was almost six years her junior.

Newton-John had to be sewn into the trousers she wears in the final sequence in which she is transformed from circular skirt-wearing goody-two-shoes into a lycra-clad vamp. Most recently, the singer-turned-actor revealed considerable comedic chops as the cocaine-snorting, champagne swilling mother of the bride in Stephan Elliott's broad Aussie comedy A Few Best Men, co-starring Xavier Samuel and Kris Marshall. Last year, she and Travolta reunited for a new album, This Christmas. The singer, a breast cancer survivor, postponed a planned Las Vegas residency in April when her late sister, Rona, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. John Travolta with Olivia Newton-John and pictured with wife Kelly Preston this year. Pictures: Supplied / AFPSource:Supplied John Travolta Travolta, a high school dropout, successfully swaggered his way through the 1970s in a string of custom-made roles - Welcome Back, Kotter's Vinnie Barbarino, Saturday Night Fever's Tony Manero and Grease's Danny Zuko. He lost his mojo in the 1980s, which saw him struggle through a forgettable run of light comedies and telemovies.

But with the help of Quentin Tarantino's groundbreaking 1994 crime drama Pulp Fiction, Travolta made the comeback of all comebacks as sympathetic hitman Vincent Vega. Since then, he has created a string of memorable characters, such as Hairspray's Edna Turnblad, and Get Shorty's Chili Palmer, for which he won a Golden Globe. Travolta recently finished filming the action thriller Killing Season with Robert De Niro. Next, he will play mobster John Gotti. Real-life partner Kelly Preston has been cast as on-screen wife Victoria. Grease | Grease Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Retrieved from wikipedia In the summer of 1958, local boy Danny Zuko and vacationing Sandy Olsson meet at the beach and fall in love. When the summer comes to an end, Sandy—who is going back to Australia—frets that they may never meet again, but Danny tells her that their love is "only the beginning". The film moves to the start of the seniors' term at Rydell High School.

Danny, a greaser, is a member of the T-Birds, consisting of his best friend Kenickie , Doody , Sonny , and Putzie . The Pink Ladies also arrive, consisting of Rizzo , Frenchy , Marty , and Jan . After her parents decided not to return to Australia, Sandy enrolls at Rydell and befriends Frenchy, who considers dropping out of school to become a beautician. Oblivious to each other's presence at school, Danny and Sandy tell their respective groups the accounts of events during the pair's brief romance. Upon learning Danny is Sandy's sweetheart, Rizzo arranges for the two to reunite, but Danny is forced to maintain his bad-boy attitude in front of his pals, upsetting Sandy. Frenchy invites the girls to a pajama party, but Sandy falls ill from trying a cigarette and drinking. The T-Birds almost crash the party in Kenickie's Greased Lightning car, but a guilty Danny leaves, followed by Rizzo, who departs to make out with Kenickie, who is actually her boyfriend.

The two are disturbed by Leo, leader of the T-Birds' rival gang, the Scorpions, and his girlfriend Cha-Cha, leading to a planned race between Kenickie and Leo. Wishing to win his way back into Sandy's affection, Danny turns to Coach Calhoun to get into sports, eventually becoming a runner. He reunites with Sandy and they attempt to go on a date, but their friends crash it, resulting in Kenickie and Rizzo arguing and parting. Left alone, Frenchy is visited by a guardian angel who advises her to return to school after a mishap in beauty class leaves her with candy-pink hair. The school dance arrives, broadcast live on television and hosted by DJ Vince Fontaine, who flirts with Marty. Rizzo and Kenickie attempt to spite one another by bringing Leo and Cha-Cha as their dates, while Danny and Sandy come together. During a dance, Danny and Cha-Cha (who were once boyfriend and girlfriend) perform together and win a dance-off. Danny tries to make it up to Sandy by taking her to a drive-in theater but ends up making several passes on her, causing Sandy to flee.

Meanwhile, Rizzo fears she is pregnant after missing a period and confides to Marty, but Sonny overhears and spreads the rumor which eventually reaches Kenickie who is the potential father. The race arrives, but Kenickie is knocked out by his own car door thanks to the careless behavior of his friend Putzie, so Danny takes up the challenge. He and Leo race until Leo crashes and leaves humiliated, with Danny as the victor. Sandy watches from afar, concluding she still loves Danny and decides to change her attitude and look to impress him. On the last day of school, while Principal McGee and her assistant Blanche sob about the departing class, the class celebrates their graduation at the fair on the school grounds. Rizzo discovers she is not pregnant after all and reunites with Kenickie. Danny has become a jock, but is shocked when Sandy appears dressed in leather and is seen smoking. In song, the two admit they love each other and reunite. The film ends with Danny and Sandy departing in the Greased Lightning car together, which then takes flight, and the pair waves goodbye to their friends. The film ends with credits in the style of a yearbook.

Cast Edit Retrieved from wikipedia Singer Newton-John, cast at Travolta's urging, had done little acting before this film. She appeared in the 1970 film Toomorrow, a science fiction musical that predated her initial chart success with 1971's "If Not for You". Cast with Newton-John and three male leads in an attempt by Don Kirshner to create another Monkees, the film was never released commercially. This led Newton-John to demand a screen test for Grease to avoid another career setback. The screen test was done with the drive-in movie scene. Henry Winkler was once considered for a lead in the film. Winkler, who was playing Fonzie on Happy Days, was originally chosen to play Danny, but having twice already played similarly leather-clad 1950s hoods in 1974's The Lords of Flatbush as well as Happy Days, turned down the role for fear of being typecast, so actor John Travolta (who had recently completed Saturday Night Fever), was cast instead.

Adult film star Harry Reems was originally signed to play Coach Calhoun;however, executives at Paramount nixed the idea due to Reems' previous work in pornography, and producers cast Sid Caesar instead. Caesar was one of several veterans of 1950s television (Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Alice Ghostley, Dody Goodman) to be cast in supporting roles. Lucie Arnaz was under serious consideration to play Rizzo, but Arnaz says she chose to keep a theater commitment due to the lack of guaranteed support from Paramount's Michael Eisner. Randal Kleiser directed Travolta (who requested him for Grease) and Kelly Ward in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble two years prior to Grease. Filming Edit Retrieved from wikipedia The opening beach scene was shot at Malibu's Leo Carrillo State Beach, making explicit reference to From Here to Eternity. The exterior Rydell scenes, including the basketball, baseball, and track segments, were shot at Venice High School in Venice, California, while the Rydell interiors, including the high school dance, were filmed at Huntington Park High School.

The sleepover was shot at a private house in East Hollywood. The Paramount studio lot was the location of the scenes that involve Frosty Palace and the musical numbers "Greased Lightning" and "Beauty School Dropout". The drive-in scenes were shot at the Burbank Pickwick Drive-In (it was closed and torn down in 1989 and a shopping center took its place). The race was filmed at the Los Angeles River, between the First and Seventh Street Bridges, where many other films have been shot.The final scene where the carnival took place used John Marshall High School. Reception Edit Retrieved from wikipedia Commercially, Grease was an immediate box office success during the summer of 1978. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $8,941,717 in 862 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, ranking at No. 2 (behind Jaws 2) at the box office. Grease has grossed $188,755,690 domestically and $206,200,000 internationally, totaling $394,955,690 worldwide.

Critical reception Edit Retrieved from wikipedia Grease received mostly positive reviews from critics and is considered by many as one of the best films of 1978. As of October 2015, Grease held an 78% "Certified Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus that reads "Grease is a pleasing, energetic musical with infectiously catchy songs and an ode to young love that never gets old."It holds a score of 70/100 on a similar website Metacritic.

Vincent Canby called the film "terrific fun", describing it as a "contemporary fantasy about a 1950s teen-age musical, a larger, funnier, wittier and more imaginative-than-Hollywood movie with a life that is all its own"; Canby pointed out that the film was "somewhat in the manner of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which recalls the science-fiction films of the 1950s in a manner more elegant and more benign than anything that was ever made then, Grease is a multi-million-dollar evocation of the B-picture quickies that Sam Katzman used to turn out in the '50s (Don't Knock the Rock, 1956) and that American International carried to the sea in the 1960s (Beach Party, 1963)." Grease was voted the best musical ever on Channel 4's 100 greatest musicals. In 2008, the film was selected by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.

Grease was re-released to theaters in 1998 to mark the twentieth anniversary; this re-release contained (before and after the mastering) the old Viacom variation of the 1986 logo; in turn, this is similar to how the original master began with its original theme (accompanied with 1975 logo). That version is shown on TV to this day, however a few Viacom networks run the original master instead. The film was also ranked No. 21 on Entertainment Weekly´s list of the 50 Best High School Movies. Awards AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions: No. 97 AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs: No. 70 for "Summer Nights" AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals: No. 20 Trivia Edit Henry Winkler, who became a sensation as "Fonzie" on "Happy Days", was considered for the role of Danny Zuko. However, he turned down the role for fear of being typecast. Susan Dey and Deborah Raffin were the first choices for the role of Sandy (Dey declined the role after her manager advised against it).

Marie Osmond later claimed on "Larry King Live" that she had been also been offered the role but declined "on moral grounds" though she later admitted this to be untrue. Due to a zipper breaking, Olivia Newton-John had to be sewn into the trousers she wears in the last sequence (the carnival at Rydell). Jeff Conaway (6' 1½" (1.87 m)) had to walk slightly stooped so that John Travolta (6' 2" (1.88 m)) would appear taller. Set in high school, most of the principal cast were way past their teenage years. When filming began in June 1977, John Travolta was 23, Olivia Newton-John was 28, Stockard Channing was 33, Jeff Conaway was 26, Barry Pearl was 27, Michael Tucci was 31, Kelly Ward was 20, Didi Conn was 25; Jamie Donnelly was 30, and Annette Charles was 29. Only Dinah Manoff, Lorenzo Lamas, and Eddie Deezen, all 19, were still teenagers.

Randal Kleiser hated the song "You're The One That I Want" saying it "sounded awful". "You're the One That I Want" took just one afternoon to film. When Olivia Newton-John was cast as Sandy, her character's background had to be changed to accommodate Newton-John's own background. In the original Broadway musical Sandy was an all-American girl and her last name was Dumbrowski. In the movie version, she became Sandy Olsson, foreign-exchange student from Australia. Also, because of Newton-John's casting, John Farrar (Newton-John's frequent songwriter) had to write two new songs for the film while other songs from the Broadway musical were dropped. Although cut from the movie, The Alma Mater/Parody instrumental from the stage version can be heard in the office on the last day and during the carnival scenes. Several musical numbers were not used in the film. They appear, however, as jukebox tunes, or band numbers at the high school dance. Among them "Freddy, My Love", "Those Magic Changes", and "It's Raining on Prom Night" all of which were performed by characters in the stage musical. Top Carrie Fisher was considered for the role of Rizzo.

For a time, it was the third highest-grossing movie of all time behind only "Jaws" and "Star Wars". It was released again in theaters in 1998 for a couple of reasons: to mark the 20th anniversary of the original and because the year before, a dance mix of songs from the soundtrack became a big hit on radio. The film was released in Spain and Latin America as Brillantina (Brilliantine) - because its English title translated as "Grasa" or "fat" in Spanish. Danny's blue windbreaker at the beginning of the film was intended as a nod to "Rebel Without a Cause". The original stage play had more sexual references than the censors wanted to allow. Among these was the use of plastic wrap as protection. To overcome the censors, there weren't any blatant references but Danny rubs plastic wrap over his crotch during "Greased Lightning". The scene in Frenchy's bedroom while Rizzo is singing the line about Elvis was actually filmed the same day that Elvis Presley died. The final musical scene, "You're the One That I Want" was filmed with the help of a traveling carnival.

However, director Randal Kleiser decided the next day that additional scenes were needed for close-ups. Unfortunately the carnival had left town so set decorators were called in to build replica backgrounds, that matched the carnival ride's construction for the close-ups. Randal Kleiser hated the opening title song, "Grease" (he thought that the cynical lyrics and disco beat were inappropriate for a film set in the 1950s). The dance contest scene was filmed during the summer, when the school was closed. The gym had no air conditioning and the doors had to be kept closed to control lighting, so the building became stifling hot. On more than one occasion, an extra had to be taken out due to heat-related illness. Choreographer Patricia Birch worked with Sha-Na-Na to ensure that the tempo of the dance contest would be correct. She appears, uncredited, as one of the dancers during the contest. In the scene where the cast are near the bridge after the car race, the water on the ground was stagnant and dangerous. Some cast members became ill from filming as the setting was a derelict place full of dirt and rubbish. Harry Reems was originally signed to play Coach Calhoun.

Producers got cold feet (for fear of his adult movie notoriety) weeks before filming and replaced him with Sid Caesar. Prosecuted by the federal government in 1976 on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute obscenity across state lines, Reems was convicted, but the conviction was overturned on appeal one year later. The official premiere after-party was at Studio 54. The production had a product placement plan with Coca-Cola, but it fell through. The Coke products were taken out or blurred. There is a huge hanging picture/advertisement in the diner that was blurred out. Photos on the inside flaps of the soundtrack album have Pepsi products. Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, who wrote the original stage play, were originally supposed to serve as executive producers of the film but got kicked off the set by Allen Carr. Patricia Birch who was choreographer on the Broadway stage continued her role in the movie version and the film original song "Sandy" was co-written by Louis St. Louis who wrote some songs used in the film. Originated in Chicago at the Kingston Mines Theatre, of which authors Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey were acting ensemble members.

It opened on the 5 February 1971, and cast members Marilu Henner, who played Marty, and James Canning, who played Doody, went on to play those roles on Broadway. Others in the cast were Sue Williams (Rizzo), Bruce Hickey (Kenickie), Bill Cervetti (Miller), Sheila Ray Ceaser (Jan), Hedda Lubin (Frenchy), Polly Pen (Patti), Leslie Goto (Sandi), Doug Stevnson (Danny), Gerald Bolnick (Sonny), and Gary Houston (Roger). Guy Barile directed and Ronna Kaye choreographed the production, and Wrick Paul (aka Rick Paul) was set designer. The rock-and-roll band that accompanied the show, led by Michael Williams, was called Sex Nellie, and Love. "Greased Lightning" was supposed to be sung by Jeff Conaway's character, Kenickie, as it is in the stage version. John Travolta used his clout to have his character sing it. The director felt it was only right to ask Conaway if it was okay. At first he refused, but he eventually gave in. Rizzo's hickeys were real.

Stockard Channing said in an interview that Jeff Conaway insisted on applying them himself. The original Broadway production opened at the Eden Theater on February 14, 1972 and ran for 3,388 performances, setting a record. Adrienne Barbeau and Barry Bostwick were in the original Broadway cast. John Travolta appeared at some time as a replacement on Broadway in the role of "Doody". Marilu Henner, an alumna of the original Chicago production, appeared as a replacement in the role of "Marty". Patrick Swayze and Treat Williams were both replacements as Danny Zuko. Richard Gere is also listed as an understudy to many male roles, including Danny Zuko. Gere played Zuko in the London production in 1973. Randal Kleiser shot a scene of Kenickie and Rizzo getting into a heated argument, which explained their attitude towards each other in the diner scene (where Rizzo threw the malt at Kenickie).

The fight scene was cut because it didn't match the tone of the rest of the film; it was much grittier, described by one crew member as "looking like something Martin Scorsese might have directed." "Hopelessly Devoted To You" was written and recorded after the movie had wrapped. The producers felt they needed a strong ballad and had Olivia Newton-John come back to film her singing this song. This song ended up receiving an Academy Award nomination. One of the session drummers for the recording session was Cubby O'Brien, one of the original Mouseketeers on TV's "The Mickey Mouse Club". Stockard Channing was not the first choice for the role of Rizzo; Lucie Arnaz was allegedly dropped from consideration when her mother, Lucille Ball, called Paramount and said, "I used to own that studio; my daughter's not doing a screen test!" (Ball actually owned the studio Desilu which was bought by Paramount). The part went to Channing when the casting director remembered seeing her with Lucie in the play, "Vanities" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles (the third member of the cast was Sandy Duncan).

Jeff Conaway stated in an episode of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" that while filming the scene/song "Greased Lightning" he was dropped by his fellow cast members and injured his back leading to his addiction to prescription painkillers. Jeff Conaway once played Danny Zuko on Broadway. The original Broadway production of "Grease" opened at the Eden Theater on February 14, 1972 and ran for 3388 performances breaking the previous record set by "Fiddler on the Roof". This production was also nominated for a 1972 Tony Award for Best Musical. The original Broadway production is the thirteenth longest running show ever. Rydell High is a reference to teen idol Bobby Rydell who had a million selling hit with "Swingin' School" in 1960. Randal Kleiser felt the stream of consciousness lyrics Barry Gibb wrote for the opening theme were quite out of place and inappropriate for the light and fun movie he was making.

But with Barry Gibb and his Bee Gee Brothers riding high with the Robert Stigwood organization from the "Saturday Night Fever" success and Kleiser being a young upstart director, he felt he had no clout to ask for any changes. Despite the fact that "Laserblast" is predominantly known as Eddie Deezen's acting debut, "Grease" was filmed first. Nancy Kyes was considered for the role of Rizzo. For the new Broadway revival, the song "Since I Don't Have You" was added to the score due to Warren Casey's death. In the stage play, the song "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" had a reference to Sal Mineo, who was murdered in 1976, year before film was shot. So the lyric for movie (shot in summer 1977) was changed to an Elvis Presley reference, who ironically was also dead by the time of the film's release in 1978. The highest-grossing movie of 1978. Olivia Newton-John requested to have a screen test before she accepted the role of Sandy.

The director Randal Kleiser agreed and they shot the 'drive-in movie' scene with Danny and Sandy as a trial. Newton-John was pleased and went on with filming. It;s also said that Danny and Sandy got married and had 3 kids after graduating Rydell Hgh.

Question: John Travolta's character in 'Grease' had the surname Zuko but what was his first name?
Answer: Danny